Suction disk plow



c E. NEwKlRK I 2,320,742

SUCTION DISK PLOW med oct. io, 1940 s sheets-sheet 2 June 1, 1943.

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June 1, 1943. c. E. NEwKlRK 2,320,742

sUc'rIoN DISK PLow Filed oct. 10, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sUoTroN msx PLoW Clarence E. Newkirk, Orange, Calif. Application october 10, 1940, serial No. 360,667

8 Claims.

scribed in more detail hereinafter, will be disposed obliquely at the rear of the frame. At their corresponding forward ends, said memrs 2 and 3 are connected by an- L-shaped front cross member 4. The L-shaped member 4 is of slightly less height than the members 2 and 3 so that the opposite end portion of saidvL-shaped member will be tted into the ends of said members 2 prime mover will not be necessary to raise or lower the disks.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved suction disk plow including improved and highly eiiicient bearings for supporting the wheels employed.

As a still further object, the invention seeks to provide an agricultural machine of this character, the sets of suction disks of which are ax'- ranged in offset relation to said frame.

Another object of the invention'is to provide a suction disk plow wherein means are employed for permitting the installation of other devices in lieu of or in addition to the suction disks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suction disk plow employing improved automatic lifting mechanism which will operate when the machine traverses a right hand turn.

Other and incidental objects of the invention not pointed out hereinabove will become apparent as the description proceeds.

My improved suction disk plow is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure y1 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the lifting wheels in retracted position and the plow disks engaged with the earth.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view showing particularly the lifting mechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view, partly in section, showing one'of the improved bearing supports for the Wheels.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view showing the improved suction disc mounting.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, it being understood that similar numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the various views, the numeral I indicates, in general, the frame of. my improved suction disk plow. The frame includes substantially H-shaped channel side members 2 and 3. It is to be noted that the side member 2 is considerably shorter than the side member 3 with the result that a set of suction disks, to be deand 3. 'Ihe frame I is further provided with aA relatively small L-shaped cross member 5 disposed in parallel spaced relation to the member f 4 and serves as a support for structure to be described hereinafter.

In order to raise and lower the frame, I provide wheels 6, I and 'Ia which are mounted on the outer end portions of axles 8. The axles are each of one-piece construction and each include crank portions 9 and I0 and a central portion II. In Figure 3 of the drawings, the construction and mounting of the lifting mechanism may be seen clearly. It will be noted, by referring to this gure, that the centrally disposed axle 8 is provided, substantially medially of the width of the central portion thereof, with a lever I2 which is normally substantially vertically disposed. The crank axles on opposite sides of the central crank axles are provided with vertical levers I2a, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to a horizontal connecting bar, the latter being operatively connected with the lever I2 of the v central crank axle so that when the lever I2 is actuated to turn said centralcrank axle, a corresponding turning movement will be imparted to the other crank axles. In order to support the axles 8 adjustably, I provide improved bearings,

l one of which is shown in detail in Figure 4 of the drawings. The bearings are shown at I3 and are carried at each side of the frame and support the axle at points adjacent the crank portions 9 and I0 thereof. The bearings are .identical in every detail and it is accordingly thought that a description of one will suice for both. With this in view, a typical bearing includes opposed supporting plates I4 and I 5 formedv with longitudinal slots I6 and I1 which are disposed in longitudinal alinement. Also, alined openings I8 and I9 are formed in the plates I4and I5, respectively. A bearing member is adjustably mounted between the plates I4 and I5. The bearing member is shown at 20 and includes a U'shaped plate 2| and a bearing loop 22 bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the U-shaped plate 2|. In order to secure the plate 2I to the plates I4 and I5, I employ bolts 23 which pass through the slots I6 and -II and the openings I8' and I9. It will be Aunderstood that, as bearings I3 are carried on each of the side members 2 and 3, in transverse alined position, the axle 8 will be effectivelyv mounted on the frame. It will also'be understood that by shifting the central axle 8, the wheel thereon may be engaged with the ground for raising one side `of the device. If the other axles 8 are shifted for engaging the wheels 1 and 1"L with the ground, the opposite side of the device will be elevated from the ground. The axles carrying the wheels 1 and 18L are operatively connected with each other by means of levers I2B n and I2b and a connecting link I2c.

My improved suction disk plow includes subframes 24 and 25. 'I'he sub-frame 24 is mounted at the forward end of the frame and is, as will be seen, located obliquely with respect to said frame. Moreover, the sub-frame 24 is offset to the left of the frame, as seenin'Fig'ure 1 of the drawings. That is to say, the sub-frame 24 projects obliquely past the side member 2 of the frame l. The sub-frame 25 connects the side members 2 and 3 at the rear end of the frame I.

. The sub-frame 25 is also obliquely mounted and is offset to the right of the frame I, as seen in Figure 1. In other words, the sub-frame extends to the right past the side member 3 of the frame I. Moreover, the sub-frames 24 and 25 are both disposed to extendv obliquely rearwardly on the frame I.

In order to effect a plowing operation, plow disks are employed. A set of such plow disks 25 are carried on the sub-frame 24 while a like set of disks 21 are carried on the sub-frame 25. The disks are identical in every respect and, as will be seen, are arranged with their hubs in substantial alinement. l The disks 25, however, have their concave faces disposed toward the right while the disks 21 are disposed with their concave faces toward the left. It has been found that this arrangement permits a highly efllcient plowing operation. Reference is had to Figure of the drawings wherein it will be seen that each of the disks is held on its sub-frame by means of spring coil shanks 28 which have straight portions 29 secured to the end faces of the subframes 24 and 25 by U-bolts 30. The ends of the straight portions 29 are turned up at 3l to provide stops for limiting the shanks 28 against outward displacement. Each of the sets of disks 25 and 21 is provided with a hub assembly 32 securing the disks operatively to the shank 28. The hub assembly includes a hub 33 and a hollow socket 34 which receives the turned down end portion 35 of each of the Shanks 28. The disks are thus provided with a spring mounting.

Reference is again had particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings. The relatively small L-iron cross member 5 provides a support foi an inverted substantially U-shaped jack mounting standard 35 which has its lower free end portion secured to the horizontal portion of the member 5. Near its upper end a bracket 31 is mounted, which bracket is substantially: U-shaped and straddles the upper portion of said standard 38. The bracket 31 is secured to one end of a jack cylinder 38 which is of the fluid operated type. The jack cylinder includes a valve 39 which controls fluid pressure in the cylinder. The valve is to be operated by a lever 40 of L-shape which has its lower end pivoted to the cylinder, as shown at 4I. A spring 42 normally retains the lever 40 in retracted position while a cable 43 is attached to the upper end of said lever and permits manual shifting thereof against thetension a,a2o,742 f oi' the spring 42 forA eiecting operation o'f the valve. Fluid connections to a suitable source of uid supply are, of course, provided and are shown at 44. The jack cylinder 38 includes a piston rod 45 which is, of course, connected to the piston within the jack cylinder and extends rearwardly medially of the width of the frame and is connected with an adjusting sleeve 45 havingy handles 41 thereon for manual engagement. The adjusting sleeve 46 has screwed therein a threaded shank 48 provided with a yoke 99 pivotally connected with the upper end of the lever I2. In order to brace the standard 36 I provide diagonally disposed bracing straps 50 and 5ll which extend from the bearing structures I3 to points substantially medially of the height of the standard 35 on opposite sides thereof. An inverted U-shaped connecting brace 52 connects the diagonal straps 50 and 5I medially of their length. The brace 52 may have secured thereto the opposite terminal of the spring 192, or, as shown, said opposite terminal may be connected to the jack cylinder. When fluid pressure is introduced to the ljack cylinder by the closing of the valve 39, the piston therein will be shifted for shifting the piston rod 45 and causing the llever I2 to be shifted for rocking the crank portions 9 and I0 of the axle 8 and engaging the wheels 6 and 1 with the ground, whereby the plow disk assemblies will be raised from the ground to inoperative position. Of course, when thevpiston rod 45 is moved in the opposite direction for-releasing the fluid from the jack cylinder, the lever I2 will be shifted for causing the wheels to assume the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. That is to say, the wheels will be raised and the plow disks 28 and 21 engaged with the earth for a plowing operation. Rotation of the adjusting sleeve 45 will effect such fine adjustment as is necessary to cause the wheels to assume`the proper advanced and retracted positions. 'I'he wheels 5 and 1 will, of course, effect the raising of the central portion of the frame and the rear portion thereof, together with the sub-frame 25 and the plow disks 21 connected therewith.

tional lifting mechanism which includes avhitch-` ing frame 53. The hitching frame comprises a transverse member 54 which is of H-shape channel iron and is connected with the forward end of the frame I by side plates 55 and 55. The hitching frame straddles the forward endof the frame I with the side plates 55 andy 55 lying against, respectively, the depending' bearing plates 51 and 58. Pivot bolts 59 and 50 effectively swingingly connect the hitching frame' with the main frame I. A hitching bar of obtuse anguiar formation is shown at 5I. The hitching bar has an inner end portion 52 which engages about the inner edge of the lowermost horizontal portion of the channel' member 54. yA plurality of openings are formed in the channel member 54 along its length so that the hitching bar 8| may be adjusted to various positions along the' length of said channel member. It will, there-v fore, be possible for the bar to be mounted for right or left hand offset draft. The forward end of the hitching bar is to be connected to appropriate hitching connections on a tractor.

The front end lifting mechanism also include a mounting yoke 63 which comprises L-shaped members 54 and 55 located in parallel spaced relation to each other and having their corresponding lower ends connected to the substantial midportion of the front cross member 4. The yoke I3 pivotally mounts a crank or lever 66 one end of which is connected with a yoke 61 on the hitching frame 53 by means of a, link t8. An operating rod $9 connects the opposite end of the crank 66 with the lever I2. Sleeves Ill and 1l. are employed for effecting pivotal connection between the rod 69 and the lever l2 and the forward end of said rod 59 and the crank 66 respectively. As will be noted, the sleeve 'I0 is connected tothe lever I2 substantially medially of its height. It will further be noted that the rod 69 extends between the vertical legs of the standard 36 and in vertical alinement with the piston rodv 45 and the jack cylinder 38. Braces 12 and 13 connect the cross member with the upper end portion of the yoke B3 for effecting bracing thereof.

It is believed that the operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing description. A brief description, however, of the operation thereof will follow hereinafter so that a complete understanding of the invention will be assured.

My improved suction diskplow is connected to a tractor by means of the hitching bar 6I. The hitching bar is sopositioned along the transverse member 54 that the machine will follow directly behndthe tractor or will be offset to the left or to the right with respect thereto. In order to permit the machine to be moved from place to place, it is necessary that the wheels 6 and 'l be engaged with the ground and the plow disks cleared therefrom. To accomplish this, the valve 33 is opened for admitting iluid pressure into the jack cylinder 38, when the piston rod 45 will be shifted rearwardly and the lever I2 rocked for shifting the wheels 6 and 'I to the position shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. In 'this position, the machine may be moved from place to place with facility. After my improved suction disk plow has been placed in a eld or orchard to be cultivated and it is desired to lower the wheels,

the valve 39 is released by releasing pressure on the lever 4B, when uid flow will enter the rear end of the cylinder 38 and cause the piston rod 45 to Ibe drawn forwardly for rocking the lever I2' forwardly and positioning the`wheels as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this position, the plow disks on the sub-frames will be engaged with the earth and will eiect a plowing or harrowing operation as the machine is drawn forwardly over the earth. It should be understood that operation of the jack cylinder, with consequent shifting of the piston rod G5 and the lever I2, will eiect shifting of the rod 69 which will shift the lever 66 and the link 68. As will now be understood, shifting of the rod 69 by the lever I2, when said lever is being moved to the position shown in Figure 3. of the drawings, will shift the lever 66 and the link 68 so that the hitching structure 53 will be swung downwardly with respect to the rear of the tractor. 'I'he result of this swinging movement will be that the subframe 24 will be shifted upwardly for disengaging the disks thereon from the earth. When the lever I2 is shifted forwardly, the rod 69 will' also be shifted forwardly and the hitching structure 53 will be shifted upwardly for allowing the forward end of the frame to shift downwardly for engaging the disks on the sub-frame 24 with the will permit adjustment of the wheels, hitching structure operating mechanism, and piston rod, sothat these parts will cooperate to insure raising and lowering of the frame' in the proper manner. f

It is believed that the construction and -operation of my improved suction disk plow will now be understood.

Having thus described the invent-ion, what I claim is: f

1. In a suction disk plow, a frame having side members.-a front cross member connecting the side members at. their forward ends, one of said side members being longer than the other, a subframe carried at the rear of the frame and mounted on said frame in oblique relation thereto, d isks carried bythe sub-frame, a sub-frame I carried at the forward end of the frame inloblique relation thereto and having disks thereon, an axle mounted on the frame medially of the length thereof and having a crank portion, a wheel carried by the crank portion, bearings shiftably connecting the axle with the frame. a lever carried by the axle, a standard carried by the frame near its forward end, a jack cylinder carried by the standard, a piston rod carried by the jack cylinder and connected with the lever, and means carried by the jack cylinder and operable for controlling iiuid iiow to said jack cylinder, said jack cylinder being operable for shifting the piston rod whereby the axle, lever andcrank portion will be shifted for rocking the axle and moving the wheel to operative or inoperative position for raising or lowering the frame and the disks thereon out of or into operative position.

2. In a suction disk plow, in combination with a tractor hitch, a frame, plow disks carried by the frame at its opposite ends, means for raising the frame at its mid and rear portions for freeving certain of the disks from the earth in inoperative position, and means cooperating with said rst mentionedmeans and the tractor hitch for raising the forward end of the frame and certain other of said disks to inoperative position, said last mentioned means including a piston rod and a jack cylinder.

3. In a suction disk plow, a frame comprising side members connected by a front cross member, a hitching frame connected with the first mentioned frame, an axle carried by the first mentioned frame and having a crank, a supporting wheel carried by the axle at the free end of the crank, an L-iron cross member carried by the frame, a standard carried by the cross member, a jack cylinder carried by the standard and having a piston rod, a lever carried by the axle,

means adjustably connecting the leverwith the piston rod, means shiftably connecting the lever with the hitching frame, and means for controlling fluid flow to the jack cylinder, said piston rod being operable by the jack cylinder for shifting the axle and the hitching frame for raising and lowering the front and rear end portions of the frame with respect to a surface therebeneath.

4. In a suction disk plow, a frame having side members and a front cross member connecting said side members at their forward ends, bearing plates carried by the side members at their corre sponding forward ends, a hitching frame including side plates and a transverse channel member, means swingingly connecting the bearing plates with the side plates, an axle carried by the frame, a Wheel carried thereby, means for shifting the axle for lowering the wheel for raising the central and rear portions of the frame, and means connected with said'last mentioned means and said hitching frame and movable with said last mentioned 'means ,for shifting the hitching frame simultaneously vwith movement of the axle whereby the hitching frame will be shifted downwardly for raising the forward end of the frame.

5. In a suction disk plow, a frame having side members'and'afforward cross member, a hitching frame swingingly connected with the frame and having a hitching bar, a yoke carried by the hitching frame, a mounting yoke carried by the first mentioned frame, a crank carried by the mounting yoke, a link connecting the crank with the first mentioned yoke, an axle carried by the frame, a wheel carried by the axle, said axle having a lever, an actuating rod connecting the lever with the crank, a standard carried by the frame, a jack cylinder carried by the standard,

1 a piston rod carried by the jack cylinder, means will be raised.

6. In a suction disk plow, a frame having side members and a. front cross member, bearing plates carried by the side members, a hitching frame swingingly connected with the ilrst mentioned frame and having side plates, bolts pivotally connecting the hitching frame with the rst mentioned frame, said hitching frame including a hitching bar and a. transverse channel member, a yoke carried by the channel member, a mounting yoke carried by the first mentioned frame on the front cross member, a crank carried by the mounting yoke, a link connecting the crank with the yoke and the hitching frame, an L-iron cross member carried by the nrst mentioned frame rearwardly of the front cross member, a standard carried by the L-iron cross member, an axle having a crank portion, a wheel carried by the axle, said axle having a lever, bearings adjustably connecting the axle with the frame medially of its length, a bracket carried by the standard, a jack cylinder carried by the bracket and extending rearwardly of the frame, fluid connections for the jack cylinder, a piston rod carried by the jack cylinder, a threaded shank carrier by the lever,

an adjusting sleeve carried by the piston rod and engageable with the threaded shank, an actuating rod connecting the lever with the crank, a

valve carried by the jack cylinder, a valve operating lever carried by the jack cylinder and movable for introducing fluid to the Jack cylinder when the piston', rod will be shifted for rocking the axle lever and engaging the wheels with a supporting surface for raising the rear and central portions of being movable simultaneously with the axle lever for shifting the crank and the link and urging the hitching frame downwardly against the obstruction of a support for lifting the forward end of the frame, sub-frames carried by the rst mentioned frame, and plows carried by the subframes and being movable into and out of plowing position by lowering or raising of the first mentioned frame.

7. In a suction disk plow, a frame, a hitching frame swingingly connected therewith and having a hitching bar adapted for connection with a tractor, a mounting yoke carried by the first mentioned frame, a crank pivotally mounted inthe mounting yoke, a link connecting the crank with the hitching frame, an L-iron cross member carried by the first mentioned frame rearwardly of the mounting yoke, a standardcarried by the cross member, a jack cylinder carried by the standard, an axle carried by the first mentioned frame, bearings mounting the axle on said rst mentioned frame, said axle having a lever, means operatively connecting the jack .cylinder with the lever, an actuating rod connecting the lever with the crank, said jack cylinder being operable for shifting said last mentioned means whereby the lever will be shifted for controlling movement of the axle and thus movement of the central and I rear portions of the first mentioned frame toward frame and being movable into and'out of operative position by movement of the frame.

8. In a suction disk plow, a frame, plows carried by the frame at its opposite ends, a hydraulic jack for raising the frame at its mid and rear portions for freeing certain of the plows fromv the earth in inoperative position, hitch mechanism, and means connected with said hitch mechanism and cooperating with said Jack and a tractor hitch structure for raising the forward end of the frame and certain other of said plows to inoperative position.

the frame, said actuating rod 

